Remote control grapple carriage operated by yarding machine

ABSTRACT

A grapple carriage riding on a skyline capable of being slackened and tightened, and having a grapple supported thereon with means for opening and closing the grapple for gripping and releasing a log, the means includes a remote control associated with a yarding machine so that an operator may cause opening or closing of the grapple from the yarding machine and also move the carriage along the skyline and for positioning the grapple during a logging operation.

United States Patent [151 3,695,672 Mitchell [451 Oct. 3, 1972 REMOTECONTROL GRAPPLE 3,531,000 9/1970 Rennie et a1. ..2l2/89 R CARRIAGEOPERATED BY YARDING MACHINE Inventor: John H. Mitchell, 400 W. CurtisSt., Aberdeen, Wash. 98520 Filed: June 17, 1970 Appl. No.: 47,105

Related U.S. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 783,015, Dec. ll,1968, Pat. No. 3,540,770.

U.S. Cl. ..294/112, 212/84, 212/89 Int. Cl. ..B66c 21/00 Field of Search..294/110, 111, 112; 212/83, 212/84, 87, 89, 94, 96, 98, 99

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1968 McIntyre et al. ..212/84Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. CherryAttorneyClarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT Agrapple carriage riding on a skyline capable of being slackened andtightened, and having a grapple supported thereon with means for openingand closing the grapple for gripping and releasing a log, the meansincludes a remote control associated with a yarding machine so that anoperator may cause opening or closing of the grapple from the yardingmachine and also move the carriage along the skyline and for positioningthe grapple during a logging operation.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PMENTEDIIM. 1972 Fig .3

Jb/m 'H. M/fchel/ REMOTE CONTROL GRAPPLE CARRIAGE OPERATED BY YARDINGMACHINE This application is a division of copending application Ser. No.783,015, filed Dec. 11, 1968 for REMOTE CONTROL GRAPPLE CARRIAGE now US.No. 3,540,770, issued Nov. 17, 1970.

Carriages with grapples thereon which may be employed in various loggingoperations are generally well known. While such devices operate, one ofthe problems existent in the field is operation of a grapple on thecarriage to effectively pick up the log, convey it to another desiredlocation and then release it. Accordingly, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide a grapple carriage having a grapplesupported therefrom together with means connected with the carriage foroperating the grapple.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a grapplecarriage in accordance with the preceding object incorporating means toenable operation of the grapple from a remote position such as a yardingmachine.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a grapplecarriage including a cable operated assembly mounted on the carriage foroperating the grapple from appropriate powered cable drums such as foundon yarding machines.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriagewhich is relatively simple in construction, dependable and effective inoperation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, operate andmaintain.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which: Y

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the grapple carriage of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view along section line 33 of FIG. 2illustrating the structural details of the grapple carriage.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the grapple carriage of thepresent invention is generally designated by reference numeral 210 andis illustrated as being mounted on a skyline 212 with the grapplecarriage 210 including an open frame 214 provided with a single pulley216 in the upper portion thereof supported on a shaft 218 for supportingand rolling engagement with the skyline 212. The open frame 214 isprovided with a horizontal partition 220 and vertical partitions 222 tosupport and position the wheel or pulley 216 and rigidify the frame. Thelower portion of the frame 214 is provided with a vertical partition 224supporting a transverse shaft 226 having a pair of pulleys or groovedwheels 228 and 230 mounted thereon for rotational movement with thewheels or pulleys 228 and 230 being on opposite sides of the verticalpartition 224. Depending from the bottom of the frame 214 is anattaching or supporting lug 232 which supports the grapple or tongassembly generally designated by the numeral 234.

Entrained over the pulleys or wheels 228 and 230 is a pair of cables 236and 238 with the cable 236 extending over the pulley 228 and downthrough a grommet 240 for association with the crossed pivot point ofthe gripping jaws of the grapple to open the grapple when I the cable236 is moved upwardly. The other cable 238 on the side of the frameopposite from the plate 244 is remote relation to the yarder.

By employing this construction, the grapple is power opened when a lineattached to the lug 246 is tensioned and pulled thus moving the pivotpoint between the jaws of the-grapple toward the carriage thus openingthe jaws. At this time, a cable or line attached to the loop or eye 242will be slackened so that the grapple may be opened and by slackeningthe skyline 212, the grapple along with the carriage to which it isattached is dropped down and engages a turn of logs. After the logs havebeen engaged, the skyline 212 is tightened while the line attached tothe lug 246 is slackened so that the grapple is closed and grips theturn of logs. Then, the cable attached to the eye 242 is pulled in thuspulling the carriage along the skyline in a well-known manner andeliminating any possibility of the tension on the line pulling thecarriage tending to open the grapple which could occur if the linepulling the carriage along the skyline were attached to the lug 246,especially if the pull line becomes entangled or if a long length ofline is suspended which introduces substantial weight of the line itselfwhich would release the gripping pressure exerted by the jaws on thegrapple.

By supporting the pivot point between the jaws from lug 232 by using anappropriate shackle and swivel assembly and connecting cable 236 to thepivotal connection at the upper ends of the links, the grapple becomespower closed and is operated by appropriate tensioning of cablesattached to lugs 246 and 242. The mechanism for operating the cablesattached to lugs 246 and 242 may be a winch structure on a yarder or itmay include a remote control cable tensioner such as that illustrated inSer. No. 783,015 that is mounted on a yarder or the like.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention,

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A grapple carriage comprising a housing, means movably supportingsaid housing from a skyline, a grapple tong supported from said housing,means connected with said tong for opening'same, means connected withsaid tong opening means for remote control thereof, said grapple tongincluding a pair of crossed jaws, said means for opening said tongincluding an opening cable entrained over a first cable receiving pulleymounted on said housing for opening the jaws of the tong when the cableis moved upwardly toward said housing, said remote control meansincluding a plate attached to the opening 'cable and con figured toabuttingly engage said housing to limit linear movement of the openingcable in a jaw closing direction, said plate including means adapted tobe connected to an operating cable extending remote from'the carriagefor moving the opening cable to a jaw opening position, and a secondcable having one end attached to said plate and a central portionentrained over a second cable receiving pulley on the housing, theportion of said second cable between said plate and said second pulleyparalleling said opening cable, said first and second cable receivingpulleys mounted for rotation about the same axis, and the other endportion of said second cable including means adapted to be connectedwith a pull line extending remote from the carriage for moving the plateinto engagement with the housing and moving the carriage on the skylinewithout exerting tension on the opening cable.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means supporting thehousing from the skyline includes a support pulley journalledon saidhousing above the cable receiving pulleys with the skyline extendingunder the support-pulley.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein, said housing includes anopen frame having a horizontal partition disposed between the supportpulley and cable receiving pulleys with the skyline received above thepartition, the portion of said housing below the horizontal partitionincluding a vertical partition between the cable receiving pulleysmaintaining the opening cable and the second cable separated from eachother.

1. A grapple carriage comprising a housing, means movably supportingsaid housing from a skyline, a grapple tong supported from said housing,means connected with said tong for opening same, means connected withsaid tong opening means for remote control thereof, said grapple tongincluding a pair of crossed jaws, said means for opening said tongincluding an opening cable entrained over a first cable receiving pulleymounted on said housing for opening the jaws of the tong when the cableis moved upwardly toward said housing, said remote control meansincluding a plate attached to the opening cable and configured toabuttingly engage said housing to limit linear movement of the openingcable in a jaw closing direction, said plate including Means adapted tobe connected to an operating cable extending remote from the carriagefor moving the opening cable to a jaw opening position, and a secondcable having one end attached to said plate and a central portionentrained over a second cable receiving pulley on the housing, theportion of said second cable between said plate and said second pulleyparalleling said opening cable, said first and second cable receivingpulleys mounted for rotation about the same axis, and the other endportion of said second cable including means adapted to be connectedwith a pull line extending remote from the carriage for moving the plateinto engagement with the housing and moving the carriage on the skylinewithout exerting tension on the opening cable.
 2. The structure asdefined in claim 1 wherein said means supporting the housing from theskyline includes a support pulley journalled on said housing above thecable receiving pulleys with the skyline extending under the supportpulley.
 3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein, said housingincludes an open frame having a horizontal partition disposed betweenthe support pulley and cable receiving pulleys with the skyline receivedabove the partition, the portion of said housing below the horizontalpartition including a vertical partition between the cable receivingpulleys maintaining the opening cable and the second cable separatedfrom each other.